I’ve never met a mother

 I’ve never met a mother

who needed someone to list
all the ways she’s falling short

she already does that
alone in the quiet hours
running through her own mistakes
like a reel on repeat

but every mother I’ve known
is desperate for someone to notice
the love she pours into the cracks

the way she kisses scraped knees
how she stays up late
folding tiny shirts just so
tomorrow feels a little softer

she doesn’t need lectures
or heavy-handed advice
she needs gentle eyes
that see her trying
and a voice that says

you’re doing more than enough
you’re raising tiny humans with your whole heart
and that is something to be proud of

so if you cross paths with a mother today
don’t point out her stumbles
tell her how beautifully she loves
because sometimes that’s all it takes
to keep her going